Item 6: Public Hearing on Ordinance Concerning Alley Vacation

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Consent of Abutting and Affected Property Owners In accordance with ORS 271.080, the Urban Renewal Agency has provided evidence of consent to the alley vacation from all abutting property owners and from property owners of at least two-thirds of the property within the affected area. As noted above, the Urban Renewal Agency owns two of the four properties abutting the alley right-of-way (tax lots 6600 and 5300) and Diamond Parking owns the remaining abutting properties (tax lots 5100 and 5200). The materials submitted with the alley vacation application include consent forms signed by representatives from the Urban Renewal Agency and from Diamond Parking. The application materials also include consent forms signed by property owners of more than two-thirds of the area within the affected area. The affected area per ORS is an area that is 200 feet on either side of the alley and 400 feet at each end of the alley. Attached as Exhibit B is a map showing affected properties and identifying those properties with signed consent forms. Copies of the signed consent forms are in the file record for this request (VRI 04-1). Applicable Criteria The Eugene City Council will address the relevant approval criterion from section 9.8725 of the Eugene Code in making a decision on the proposed alley vacation, as listed below: The city council shall approve, or approve with conditions and reservations of easements, the vacation of improved public right-oi-way, public ways acquired with public funds, or undeveloped subdivision and partition plats, or portions thereof, including public right-of- way and improved public easements located therein, only if the council finds that approval of the vacation is in the public interest. The alley vacation request will facilitate the re-development of a vacant site with a six-story office building that will bring 300 employees to the downtown core. This project is consistent with the policy direction contained in the Downtown Plan. The following specific policies from the Downtown Plan are relevant to this request and provide support that the alley vacation is in the interest of the public: Build upon downtown's role as the center for government, commerce, education and culture in the city and the region (Strong Regional Center Policy 1) Downtown development shall support the urban qualities of density, vitality, livability and diversity to create a downtown, urban environment. (Strong Regional Center Policy 2) Actively pursue public/private development opportunities to achieve the vision for an active, vital, growing downtown. (Building a Downtown Policy 1) Use downtown development tools and incentives to encourage development that provides character and density downtown. (Building a Downtown Policy 2) The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Eugene, owner of the former Sears building property and adjacent 1/8-block parking lot (the "Sears Site"), has signed a Purchase and Sale Agreement with the Oregon Research Institute (OR!) under which the Sears Site will be sold to OR! for development of a new six-story office building. The proposed alley vacation is necessary for the construction of the new building, as it will allow OR! to use the site more effectively and efficiently. The City Council previously approved the terms of sale, which included the Urban Renewal Agency's commitment to vacating a portion of the north/south alley that is adjacent to the former Sears building. LICMOl200S Council AgendasIMOSll14IS0S11146.doc